The department's Public Drinking Water Branch is responsible for ensuring Missouri's public water systems follow state and federal rules and regulations and provide safe drinking water to all Missouri citizens and visitors. Individual water systems are required to submit water samples for laboratory testing to verify the water they are serving to the public meets all federal and state standards. How often and where samples are taken varies by system and contaminant.
Certified Laboratories
A certified laboratory must be used for any testing required by the department's Public Drinking Water Branch. Lists for both certified chemical and microbiological laboratories are provided below. Analysis of water samples from private residences or private wells does not have to be done by a certified laboratory. There are other laboratories capable of performing analyses of private water samples in addition to the laboratories. These other labs have chosen not to go through our certification process, but may produce equivalent results if they have adequate quality assurance or quality control in place.
Consumer Confidence Reports
Consumer Confidence Reports are updated annually by April 1. Information and instructions for community water supplies can be found at the following links along with the required certification form that must be submitted to the department by Oct. 1 each year.
- Letter to Community Water Supplies - 2020 Consumer Confidence Report Cover Letter
- 2020 Consumer Confidence Report Instructions
- 2020 Consumer Confidence Report Key
- Consumer Confidence Report Distribution Certification - MO 780-2212
- Using eCCR Direct Delivery - Instructional Video for Water Systems
Request Additional Sampling Bottles
An online form can be used in place of the enclosed postcard that comes with the sample bottles. These bottles are sent via UPS to the Sampler, or SA, that we have listed in our database. If you need to verify the contact information we have is current (change of personnel, address, telephone number, etc.), use the link Drinking Water Watch to check our data. If you do need your contact information updated, check yes for Contact Changes and enter the correct data. If you have questions, call the Public Drinking Water Branch at 573-526-3832.